BARCOVE aims to develop an innovative and standard-setting model for school-company cooperation in vocational education and training. It focuses on applied research as a lever for scientific, technical innovation within urban space and water management. This project is closely related to the companies' need for innovative technical solutions, competent workers and to the need of the Vocational Education schools to attract highly motivated students.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The four research fields in BARCOVE

• Permeable pavement

• Soil and Plant Properties in Technical Sustainable Drainage Systems

• Rainwater systems

• Green roofs

​

What BARCOVE offers

• 2-day international Hackathon for 40 VET students and up to 20 start-ups from 5 countries

• Implementation of the best ideas generated in the hackathon, in a real-life setting of company-school cooperation

• A reference framework for applied research in VET

• Two training modules on applied research in VET directed towards companies and VET schools, respectively.

• A catalogue of interesting practices regarding the implementation of applied research in VET

• A catalogue of interesting practices regarding the implementation of company-school cooperation in VET

​

​

“BARCOVE is the most practical new project for combining water management with urban greening. This is another large step forward in the green transition and will result in sustainable global solutions for climate adaptation.”

- Kristoffer Sindby, Head of Climate Department, OKNygaard, Denmark

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

BARCOVE objectives

• To provide a structured mapping and analyzing of existing models and experiences regarding implementation of company-school cooperation, and implementation of applied research in VET that may provide VET schools, companies and policy makers with an overview of interesting practices concerning implementation of applied research into VET.

• To develop several recommendations based on the identified interesting practices, models and experiences to be used by stakeholders involved in applied research related to VET and company innovation.

• To create a combined teaching-training experience (Hackathon) that stimulates creative thinking and entrepreneurship among VET students and support relevant companies.

• To establish a forum that breaks down traditional “silo-thinking” and brings companies, VET institutions, HEIs, authorities and other stakeholders into a pioneering new type of collaboration.

• To build a generalized framework based on the project's mapping and analysis of interesting cases and the completed teaching-training experience (Hackathon), which provides a reflective guide on how to integrate applied research in close collaboration between companies, schools, and other stakeholders.

• To offer the project's reference framework to CoVE, PoVE and other professionals across Europe, and to facilitate its use through the provision of tailor-made courses targeted at companies and VET institutions that wish to strengthen the use of applied research in their innovation and education processes.

• To improve the relevance and image of VET programs that involve applied research and innovation in order to attract more future students through an active dissemination strategy.

​

BARCOVE partners

• OKNygard Denmark and Ginkelgroep Nederland, both green companies that make a lot of green roofs 

• Projar Spain, consultancy and architecture firm for green spaces and green buildings 

• Green Academy Arhus Denmark, Yuverta Netherlands, Malvesia Spain, all three green VET schools. All schools have their own Center of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Urban Greening with business and social organisations. In the Netherlands the CoVE is called Green Hotspot. 

• CIV Water (Centre of Innovation, international) 

• World Skills Romania – NGO with expertise in the field of VET, part of CoVE Romania, called Landscape Factory

​

​